Alkylation process

ABSTRACT

THERE IS PROVIDED A PROCESS FOR SELECTIVELY ALKYLATING A PHENOLIC COMPOUND IN THE ORTHO-POSITION TO THE SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF ALKYLATION IN THE META- AND PARA-POSITIONS WHICH COMPRISES ALKYLATING THE PHENOLIC COMPOUND WITH AN ALKANOL IN THE PRESENCE OF A TELLURIUM-CONTAINING CATALYST.

United States Patent 3,707,569 ALKYLATION PROCESS Bernardus J. van Sorge, Selkirk, N.Y., assignor to General Electric Company No Drawing. Filed July 22, 1970, Ser. No. 57,354 Int. Cl. C07c 39/02, 39/12 U.S. Cl. 260-621 R 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE There is provided a process for selectively alkylating a phenolic compound in the ortho-position tothe significant reduction of alkylation in the meta and para-positions which comprises alkylating the phenolic compound with an alkanol in the presence of a tellurium-containing catalyst.

This invention relates to the alkylation of phenolic compounds. More particularly, it contemplates the alkylation of the ortho-position of phenols having at least one ortho-hydrogen.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The methylation of phenols having at least one orthohydrogen, i.e., at least one unsubstituted ortho-position, for example, phenol, cresol, i.e., o-cresol, m-cresol, pcresol, 2,4-xylenol, 2,3-xylenol, 3,5-xylenol, and the like is old in the art.

Winkler et al., U.S. 2,488,942, for example, discloses alkylation of phenols in the vapor phase using either alcohols or ethers as the alkylating agent and metal oxides, such as aluminum oxide, thorium oxide, zirconium oxide, zinc oxide, iron oxide, chromium oxide, manganese oxide, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide and barium oxide. Winkler et al.s process is especially useful to fully methylate phenol and to prepare, e.g., pentamethyl phenol. The preferred catalyst is aluminum oxide. The Winkler et al. process, however, is somewhat indiscriminate and lacks specificity for orthoalkylation to the relative exclusion of alkylation in the metaand para-positions.

In Kunz, U.K. 717,588, there is described a process somewhat similar to the Winkler et al. process in that the same metal oxides are used, aluminum oxide being preferred, with ortho-cresol being the starting material to be alkylated with methanol. Both metaand para-cresol are found in the products of the Kunz process indicating either a lack of specificity for ortho-alkylation and/ or rearrangement of ortho-methyl substituents during the reaction.

Biller, U.S. 3,439,048, discloses the alkylation of phenol with methanol or dimethyl ether in the presence of an aqueous solution of zinc halide to obtain m-cresol-free methyl phenol mixtures. Although the reaction products contain predominantly o-cresol, substantial amounts of pcresol and 2,4-xylenol are found. Thus the Biller process apparently permits either production of para-substituted phenols or rearrangements of isomeric cresols and xylenols, indicating a lack of specificity for otho-alkylation.

Ortho-alkylated phenols have valuable properties. They may be used, for example, in making bisphenols, or as stabilizers for gasoline or other fuels for internal combustion engines. They are particularly useful in making polyarylene ethers, a valuable class of thermoplastic polymers disclosed and claimed, for example, in A. S. Hay, U.S. 3,306,875. As is disclosed in the Hay patent, polyphenylene ethers having the highest molecular weight and most desirable properties are prepared from monoor di-ortho substituted phenols having an unsubstituted para-position, which joins with the phenolic hydrogen in a similar molecule to form polymeric chains.

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It would be very desirable to have a process to prepare preferred ortho-substituted, para-unsubstituted phenolic compounds in which there is a selective direct introduction of alkyl groups in the ortho-position. Furthermore, it would be advantageous to provide such a process in Wl'llCh a rearrangement of the desired products to isomeric cresols and xylenols with para-substitution is remarkably suppressed.

Unexpectedly, there has now been found a very convenient process for producing high yields (high degree of conversion) of mono-o-alkyl or di-o-alkyl phenols with a very high degree of ortho-selectivity, i.e., a high proportion of the starting phenol is converted to products in which alkyl'ation has occurred at only one or both of the ortho-positions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a process for selectively alkylating a phenolic compound in the ortho-position to the significant retardation of alkylation in the metaand para-positions which comprises alkylating the phenolic compound with an alkanol in the presence of a tellurium-containing catalyst.

Such a process, in essence, comprises alkylating a phenolic compound having at least one ortho-hydrogen by reacting said phenolic compound with an alkanol in the presence of a catalytically active compound selected from the group consisting of tellurium oxide, tellurous acid, telluric acid, salts of tellurous acid and salts of telluric acid at a temperature of from about 200 C. to about 600 C.

Illustrative phenolic compounds used as starting materials are of the general formula wherein each R is a monovalent substituent such as hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, and alkylaryl, e.g., methyl, ethyl, npropyl, phenyl, o-methylphenyl, p-methylphenyl, 2,6- xylyl, and the like. Especially useful starting materials are phenol (R is hydrogen), o-cresol, m-cresol, p-cresol, ophenylphenol and 3,5-xylenol. Phenol is a preferred starting material.

Suitable alkanols may be represented by the formula wherein R is saturated alkyl of up to about 12 carbon atoms, straight chain or branched chain. Illustrative 'alkanols are those wherein R is methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, ipropyl, n-butyl, t-butyl, hexyl, octyl, Z-ethylhexyl, decyl and dodecyl. Preferred alkanols are (lower)a.lkanols, i.e., those in which R contains from about 1 to about 6 carbon atoms, such as methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, tertiary butyl, amyl and hexyl alcohols. Especially preferred as the alkanol is methanol.

Suitable catalytically-active compounds are tellurium oxide, tellurous acid, telluric acid, salts of tellurous acid and salts of telluric acid. Any form of tellurium oxide, e.g., tellurium monoxide, TeO; tellurium dioxide, TeO tellurium trioxide, TeO or, in general, any salt of tellurous acid, H TeO or of telluric acid, H TeO is suitable for use in this process. The only requirement appears to be that significant amounts of aluminum oxide and silicon oxide, should be absent. These tend to decrease selectivity.

The salts of tellurous acid and telluric acid will be those of tetravalent and hexa-valent tellurium and, in general, will be of the formulae M TeO or M TeO Complex salts are also known; these are equally useful; and have the formulae M TeO M Te O M Te O and M Te O In these salts M -will represent a metal cation derived, for example, from the alkali metals, e.g., sodium, potassium, lithium, and the like, or the alkaline earth metals, e.g., calcium or magnesium, and the like, or heavy metals, such as lead and the like. The cation also can be derived from ammonia and amines.

Especially preferred as the catalytically-active compound is tellurium dioxide.

In order to obtain the maximum yield of ortho-alkylated products it is preferred to use at least one mole of alkanol and preferably from one to three moles of alkanol for each ortho-position in the phenolic compound to be alkylated. For example, if phenol is to be methylated to produce a maximum yield of 2,6-xylenol (2,6-dimethylphenol), it is preferred to use at least 2 moles and especially preferred to use from 2 to 6 moles of methanol for each mole of phenol. Of course, if the phenolic compound starting material is already mono-substituted in one of the ortho-positions, maximum yields will be obtained with at least one mole of alkanol, e.g., methanol, per mole of phenolic compound, e.g., o-cresol.

In one of its embodiments, the present invention contemplates carrying out the alkylation reaction with methanol containing from 1 to 20 mole percent formaldehyde. The formaldehyde can be used in any convenient form, e.g., as trioxymethylene or paraformaldehyde. This embodiment increases the yield of the desired product and enhances the production rate, especially at lower reaction temperatures, without affecting the selectivity of the catalyst for ortho-substitution.

The amount of catalyst used is not particularly critical. In general, the molar ratio can fall in the range of 0.01 to 1.0 mole of catalyst per mole of alkanol.

In general, it will be found that the phenolic compound will not react with the alkanol, even in the presence of the catalyst, at ambient temperatures and that the mixture will require heating before the reaction proceeds. The temperature will be in the range of from about 200 C. to about 600 0., preferably from about 200 C. to about 350 C.

The present process can be carried out when the phenolic compound and the alkanol are heated either in the liquid phase or in the vapor phase. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, if the reaction temperature is above the boiling point of the reactants at a given pressure, they will be in the vapor phase. On the other hand, if the pressure in the reaction vessel is at least equal to or higher than the equilibrium pressure of the reactants and the products at elevated temperature, the reaction will be in the liquid phase.

Furthermore, although not critical since atmospheric or subatmospheric pressure can be used, an elevated pressure is desirable because the yield of the desired alkylated phenolic products appears to be enhanced while, at the same time, the formation of alkylated hydrocarbon byproducts apparently is inhibited. In such cases, the pressure under which the reaction is carried out is from about 20 to 400 atmospheres, i.e., 300 to about 6000 p.s.i.g. Especially preferably, the pressure will be about 200 to 300 atmospheres.

In one manner of proceeding, phenol will be mixed with at least 2 moles of methanol, based on phenol, and after adding the catalyst, e.g., 0.03 mole of tellurium dioxide, based on methanol, the mixture will be heated to 350 C. for about 3 hours. The maximum pressure will be about 250 atm. The mixture is cooled to room temperature, the catalyst is separated and the products are recovered by any conventional means, e.g., by distillation.

Any unreacted phenol and any products with orthohydrogen substituents may be recycled to increase the conversion to the desired ortho-methylated products.

Any suitable type apparatus may be used. For example, a stirring autoclave of an entirely conventional type is especially convenient. On the other hand, if it is desired to carry out the process in a continuous fashion, then a heated tubular reactor will be used.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In order that those skilled in the art may better understand the invention, the following examples are given by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

Example 1 The reactor consists of a stirred, heated autoclave.

Ninety-four grams of phenol, 64 g. of methanol, 10 g. of tellurium dioxide and 2.0 g. of paraformaldehyde are transferred to the reactor flushed with nitrogen and heated from 20 C. to 350 C. in 3 hours. The maximum pressure attained is 3700 p.s.i.g. (250 atm.) The reactor is cooled to about 20 C. and the residual pressure is 7 atm. The reactor is opened and no methanol odor is detected, and no resin is found. The tellurium dioxide appears to have been reduced to its elementary state since a metallic sludge is found to be present. The product is analyzed by gas chromatography using a column of Apiezon-L 0n Chromosorb-W at 240 C. The product distribution is shown in Table I.

TABLE I Total phenol (wt. percent) 49.5 o-cresol 35.4 2,6-xylenol 12.8 2,4-xylenol 2,4,6-mesitol 0.6 Anisoles 1.7

From the results shown in Table I, it is seen that tellurium dioxide is an active and selective catalyst. Almost all of the alkylation in the presence of tellurium dioxide has occurred only in the two ortho-positions. This is in contrast with the substantial amount of para-methylation obtained with aluminium oxide catalyst of Winkler, U.S. 2,448,942, Example 1; or with the zinc halide catalyst of Biller, U.S. 3,439,048, Example 1.

Example 2 The procedure of Example 1 is repeated, omitting the paraformaldehyde. Substantially the same results are obtained, although the reaction proceeds at a slightly lower rate.

Example 3 The procedure of Example 1 is repeated, substituting for tellurium dioxide, stoichiometrically equivalent quantities of tellurium monoxide, TeO; tellurium trioxide, TeO and of-sodium tellurate, Na TeO potassium tellurate, K TeO potassium tellurite, K TeO ammonium tellurate, (NH TeO barium tellurate, BaTeO and tellurate, (N'H TeO barium tellurate, BaTeO telluric acid, H TeO and tellurous acid, H TeO Substantially the same results are obtained.

Example 4 The procedure of Example 1 is repeated, omitting the formaldehyde, and substituting for the methanol stoichiometrically equivalent amounts of the following alkanols: ethyl, propyl, n-butyl, isopropyl, isobutyl, tertiary butyl, n-amyl and n-hexyl. There are obtained, respectively, phenols monoand di-ortho-substituted with ethyl, propyl, n-butyl, isopropyl, isobutyl, tertiary butyl, n-amyl and n-hexyl groups.

Example 5 The procedure of Example 1 is repeated substituting for the phenol, 'stoichiometrical amounts of the following phenolic compounds with at least one ortho-hydrogen:

o-cresol; 3,5-xylenol; and m-cresol; 2-phenylphenol. p-creslo;

The predominating products are, respectively,

2,6-xylenol; 2,3,6-trimethylphenol; 2,4,6-trimethylphenol; 2,3,5,6tetramethylphenol; and 2-methyl-6-phenylphenol.

Similarly, after substituting for phenol the following phenolic compounds:

2,3-xylenol; 2,4-diphenylphenol;

4-phenylphenol; 2-phenyl-4-tolylphenol; and 2-tolylphenol; 3-methyl-5-phenylphenol in the procedure of Example 1 there are obtained the corresponding mono-ortho methylated and di-ortho methylated phenols, depending on whether one or two of the ortho-positions is unsubstituted in the starting material.

Although thc'above examples have shown various modifications and variations of the present invention, other modifications and variations are possible in light of the teachings. It is therefore to be understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiments of the invention described which are within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A process for the ortho-alkylation of a phenolic compound of the general formula wherein each R is a monovalent substituent selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, phenyl and methyl-substituted phenyl, said process comprising reacting said phenolic compound with an alkanol in the presence of a catalytic amount of a catalyst consisting essentially of a catalytically-active compound selected from the group consisting of tellurium oxide, tellurous acid, telluric acid, alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, heavy metal, ammonium salts of tellurous acid, and alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, heavy metal, ammonium salts of telluric acid at a temperature of from about 200 C. to about 600 C.

2. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein each R is hydrogen.

3. A process as defined in claim 2 wherein the ratio of alkanol to phenolic compound is at least two moles of alkanol per mole of phenolic compound.

4. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said catalytically active compound is tellurium dioxide.

5. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the alkanol is a (lower)alkanol of up to 6 carbon atoms.

6. A process as defined in claim 6 wherein said (lower)alkanol is methanol.

7. A process as defined in claim 6 wherein the methanol contains from about 1 to about 20 mole percent formaldehyde.

8. A process wherein phenol is reacted with methanol in the presence of a catalytic amount of a catalyst consisting essentially of tellurium dioxide at a temperature of from about 200 C. to about 350 C. to produce a mixture of ortho-cresol and 2,6-xylenol.

9. A process as defined in claim 8 wherein the ratio of methanol to phenol is at least two moles of methanol per mole of phenol.

10. A process for the ortho-alkylation of a phenolic compound of the general formula wherein each R is a monovalent substituent selected from hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, and alkylaryl, said process comprising reacting said phenolic compound with an alkanol in the presence of a catalytic amount of a catalyst consisting essentially of tellurium dioxide at a temperature of from about 200 C. to about 600 C.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,103,736 12/1937 Skraup 260-624 C 2,204,339 6 1940 Bowles 260-624 C FOREIGN PATENTS 717,588 10/1954 Great Britain 260-621 R HOWARD T. MARS, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

